What's the point in a battery grip?

Llamaman said:
I can offer a different prespective as I have a battery grip for a much smaller, lighter breed of camera - the OM-D EM-5 (a micro four thirds camera if model numbers aren't your thing).

The camera body is quite small, meaning if you have large hands like me, you don't have your whole hand gripping the camera. This is fine for most lenses as they're pretty light (half the point of MFT). But when I plonk the 12-40/2.8 on, it is noticeably heavier and I can feel the camera wanting to "tip forwards" out of my hand. Adding the vertical non-battery half of the grip prevents this by giving me much more to grab on to. The camera is now thick enough to fill the hand so you're using your whole hand, not just your fingertips. It also adds a second shutter button further forwards, where your finger is now more likely to be.
The second half of the grip - the portrait bit - is ... well, the same comments apply as to the bigger cameras. Either you value the additional function vs bulk tradeoff or you don't.
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That sounds like you're trying to support the weight by holding onto the body only, which is always going to be awkward. Try supporting the weight using your left hand under the camera+lens, at the point of balance - it shouldn't tip in any direction if you do that! Let me put it this way - I've tried a GM1 with a Canon 300mm f/4 L lens, and it's perfectly balanced as long as you put your left hand in the right place :)
 
simonblue said:
Does anybody remember owning the the big old motor drive that you could buy for SLR :)
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Yep. I had MD-12s on my FM2s. The most famous camera sound of all time. (Look up Girls on Film by Duran Duran on YouTube to hear it :)). Whenever you heard a camera sound dubbed onto a film, it would nearly always be a FM2/MD-12.

I also had a MD-4 on my F3.
 
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I've had grips on every one of my bodies apart from a 1D3, I've got big hands so I find they give something for my little finger to hold on to, also better battery life, better balance with larger lenses and much easier for portrait shooting. In fact, the supposed train of thought that they look better was the last thing on my mind, I couldn't give a monkeys what the body looks like with it on or off. The wife has a grip on her 650D as well and she's the last person to 'want to look pro' with regards to a camera, she also has large hands and prefers the fit of the grip.

As for spending £250 on a grip, if you want to try a grip you can get a 3rd party grip, which work just as well as OEM grips in my experience, for around £30-£50 for most bodies. I've had 8 or 9 bodies all together and all apart from my 70D have had 3rd party grips (all but one 3rd party grips have been made by Meike) on all the bodies. The grip on the wife's 650D is now around 4 years old and still going strong and I've never had any problems with any of the Meike grips I've had.
 
Pookeyhead said:
Yep. I had MD-12s on my FM2s. The most famous camera sound of all time. (Look up Girls on Film by Duran Duran on YouTube to hear it :)). Whenever you heard a camera sound dubbed onto a film, it would nearly always be a FM2/MD-12.

I also had a MD-4 on my F3.
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Same here, plus at one time the full motor drive for the Olympus :)
 
gcogger said:
That sounds like you're trying to support the weight by holding onto the body only, which is always going to be awkward. Try supporting the weight using your left hand under the camera+lens, at the point of balance - it shouldn't tip in any direction if you do that! Let me put it this way - I've tried a GM1 with a Canon 300mm f/4 L lens, and it's perfectly balanced as long as you put your left hand in the right place :)
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the front element on some lenses (especially big 2.8's such as the 120-300) naturally want to tip forward because of the size/amount of glass up that end, even with your left hand/monopod supporting at the tripod mount.
 
neil_g said:
the front element on some lenses (especially big 2.8's such as the 120-300) naturally want to tip forward because of the size/amount of glass up that end, even with your left hand/monopod supporting at the tripod mount.
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That sounds like incredibly poor design. How would you use such a lens on a gimbal?
 
I dont think that Canon Nikon or anyone design a lens with anything other than manufacturing a good lens in mind. Certainly not whether it is going to get used on a gimbal head or not.

My 500 is way front heavy on the gimbal on its own. I need to get a longer plate to allow more adjustment. Even with my 1DX on it i still had to change way the plate is bolted to the lens foot.
 
Just get a long plate Gaz, makes balancing them easier.
 
neil_g said:
the front element on some lenses (especially big 2.8's such as the 120-300) naturally want to tip forward because of the size/amount of glass up that end, even with your left hand/monopod supporting at the tripod mount.
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I guess that's awkward if using a monopod but if I was hand holding it I'd simply move my hand forward. If the tripod mount was in the way I'd remove it or rotate it out of the way.
 
fracster said:
Just get a long plate Gaz, makes balancing them easier.
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I was quite surprised that it neded to come back so far in the plate holder to balance. I will order one before I come back onshore.
 
OK, here's why I find a grip a pain in the..... fingers.

My camera has a nice little valley where my fingers go -

Gripless%201.JPG


Unfortunately, I can't fit all 4 fingers into that valley - so my little finger rests on the bottomn of the camera -

Gripless%202.JPG


This is quite comfortable and very stable.

Now, if the grip continued that valley I'd be a happy bunny. But it doesn't. Obviously the designers were thinking of small hands when they designed the grip.

Gripped%201.JPG


Obviously all 4 fingers are supposed to fit in that original tiny little valley. But somebody like me, somebody with large hands, is totally screwed. There's now nowhere for the little finger to go. It sticks out like a posh person drinking tea. It gets in the way all the time. It's damned annoying!

So please explain to me, all those who use a grip because it fits better with your 'large' hands...

How can it fit better when shooting in landscape mode when the space designed for your fingers gets smaller?
 
hollis_f said:
OK, here's why I find a grip a pain in the..... fingers.

My camera has a nice little valley where my fingers go -

Gripless%201.JPG


Unfortunately, I can't fit all 4 fingers into that valley - so my little finger rests on the bottomn of the camera -

Gripless%202.JPG


This is quite comfortable and very stable.

Now, if the grip continued that valley I'd be a happy bunny. But it doesn't. Obviously the designers were thinking of small hands when they designed the grip.

Gripped%201.JPG


Obviously all 4 fingers are supposed to fit in that original tiny little valley. But somebody like me, somebody with large hands, is totally screwed. There's now nowhere for the little finger to go. It sticks out like a posh person drinking tea. It gets in the way all the time. It's damned annoying!

So please explain to me, all those who use a grip because it fits better with your 'large' hands...

How can it fit better when shooting in landscape mode when the space designed for your fingers gets smaller?
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Can't answer for anyone else, but that "valley" continues on my grip.
 
strumstrum said:
Portrait work
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Personally I find them a PITA for shooting portrait, balance is all wrong, and when shooting normally I'm constantly pressing a shutter button with my palm.

If the OP can live with changing batteries a little often like I can, then save the £250 for something useful.
 
i always thought they would be good to slap someone across the head with without dropping the camera as the grip on the camera aint too brill.

I wouldnt need a grip, my batteries last around 1,500 images and I have battery spares which takes seconds to change.
 
I like grips but even with one fitted to my 5D the ergomonics of the 1 series are still better due to it being designed to be part of the body originally.

Carlh said:
i always thought they would be good to slap someone across the head with without dropping the camera as the grip on the camera aint too brill.

I wouldnt need a grip, my batteries last around 1,500 images and I have battery spares which takes seconds to change.[/quote]
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Ive recently sat next to someone who missed two ospreys diving whilst he was checking how sharp the previous ospreys dive was.
Ive never flattened 2 batteries but ive run both down to 30% in a day.
 
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ghoti said:
They are, though, aren't they? They might give slightly better handling in portrait orientation, but not such better handling that it's worth spending any money on. Unless you have some sort of medical problem with operating an unmodified camera vertically, which, let's face it, isn't difficult in the least for most people with normal hands.
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What about situations where it's not convenient to swap batteries and situations where shutter rates will drops off as the power drops down? Just because you can't see how it's useful doesn't mean it's not useful to other people, that's very ignorant.
 
Gaz J said:
I like grips but even with one fitted to my 5D the ergomonics of the 1 series are still better due to it being designed to be part of the body originally.




Ive recently sat next to someone who missed two ospreys diving whilst he was checking how sharp the previous ospreys dive was.
Ive never flattened 2 batteries but ive run both down to 30% in a day.
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same here, i never let them run flat, change at about half way, check the photos when you get home, unless Im exposing in a always-changing sky and then i just read the histogram rather than examine the images. Need the extra power thats left in them, to copy the images over to the PC. Would not want to be waiting for the batteries to charge, I like to get them off-camera asap when I get home.
 
One thing i do like about the grip is the AA holder. Im not too proud to admit that I went out one night to do some star trail photography. Drove 20 miles, set up only to find that the camera had been switched on for the previous week and both batteries were flat.

The AA holder now lives in my bag with eneloop rechargables in it.
 
hollis_f said:
OK, here's why I find a grip a pain in the..... fingers.

My camera has a nice little valley where my fingers go -



Unfortunately, I can't fit all 4 fingers into that valley - so my little finger rests on the bottomn of the camera -

Gripless%202.JPG


This is quite comfortable and very stable.

Now, if the grip continued that valley I'd be a happy bunny. But it doesn't. Obviously the designers were thinking of small hands when they designed the grip.

Obviously all 4 fingers are supposed to fit in that original tiny little valley. But somebody like me, somebody with large hands, is totally screwed. There's now nowhere for the little finger to go. It sticks out like a posh person drinking tea. It gets in the way all the time. It's damned annoying!

So please explain to me, all those who use a grip because it fits better with your 'large' hands...

How can it fit better when shooting in landscape mode when the space designed for your fingers gets smaller?
Click to expand...

When you try to fit all of your 4 fingers in that "little valley" which digit are you using to depress the shutter button ? :whistle:

Because forgive me when I use my cameras I have my forefinger (index finger) over the shutter, thumb on the rear of the body for back-button focus, AE lock, focus point adjustment etc, and then my middle digit through to little finger (3 fingers on my hand) in the "little valley" as you describe it.

(PS my Nikon grip for my D800 also has a "little valley" to extend the portrait and landscape orientation)
 
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meonshore said:
When you try to fit all of your 4 fingers in that "little valley" which digit are you using to depress the shutter button ? :whistle:
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Sorry, yes you are correct. It's three fingers that can't fit.

My excuse is that I couldn't count because my fingers were busy.
 
Bags of uninterrupted power, better for portraits with the added buttons and for the extra stability and control when using larger and heavier lenses.

Pretty obvious really!
 
I absolutely love my (£26) Meike grip for my 70D... I simply find it makes the camera far nicer to handle in both orientations, and I enjoy the extra weight, even with a heavy lens. Using a wrist strap, the camera feels very secure with every digit placed firmly on the body and grip. I also find the extra weight reduces shake when using it handheld. It was an impulse buy, and I really was not sure if I would like it or not, but having used it for a couple of months I would not remove it from my 70D without a fight. The extra battery life, and the AA holder are the icing on the cake. I don't get why there should be any debate?... if you like them use one, if not, don't - simples ;)
 
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I find it indispensable. Along with my personalised number plate, I wouldn't be seen without mine.

Being a simple hobbyist landscape photographer, the battery grip is probably the first thing I load into my camera bag after my 400mm f/2.8.

[/all the gear, no idea]
 
pjm1 said:
I find it indispensable. Along with my personalised number plate, I wouldn't be seen without mine.

Being a simple hobbyist landscape photographer, the battery grip is probably the first thing I load into my camera bag after my 400mm f/2.8.

[/all the gear, no idea]
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Dont see many cameras with personal plates on them. Could start a trend.
 
Better battery life, better stability and better balance. I bought the Nikon grip with my recently acquired D7100 and have not taken it off since I had it. I had the grip with my D7000 and I was the same with that.
 
I decided to dust of my Pixel grip and stick it onto the D800E, and leave it on for a few days. Not that I've been shooting much lately, but it has grown on me a little. I remember now why I didn't use it after buying, I like to use a black rapid strap, attached to the base of cam, and with the grip on it didn't feel quite so safe. That was the main reason, and it went back in the box, and stayed there till now. I just stuck the D800 batt in for now, will fill it with some AAs and see how they go.
 
I do a lot of dog photography, which means lying flat on the ground with my weight on my elbows for small dogs. Portrait orientation without a grip is literally impossible without falling over. I out mine on over a year ago and have not taken it off since. Interestingly I find myself taking many more portrait s***s now as it us just so much easier.
 
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